The Longshaw Wardens were formed by the Sheffield and District Ramblers' Association in 1928. Each warden had an armband, a card issued by the Longshaw Committee stating he was acting with their authority, and a collecting tin. The Estate was patrolled from 2.30pm on Saturdays and from 10.30am on Sundays.

Volunteer working parties also assisted with the maintenance of the estate, many of these being drawn from hiking clubs attached to large Sheffield firms.

General work included clearing and digging drains, clearing brushwood, maintaining fences and walls and felling trees. Dead sheep, litter, camp fires and dogs running loose were just some of the problems encountered.

Both bathing and ice skating were allowed on the lake in the early days, although the wardens had to ensure that 'every person bathing shall wear a dress or covering sufficient to prevent exposure of the person'. There was a potential penalty of 40 shillings for flouting the National Trust's by-laws, which also forbade the use of indecent or obscene language - an expensive swear box!

Collections were continuously made towards the appeal fund and it was not unusual to collect £10 or £12 from ice skaters over one weekend. At a time when one Warden thought it worth mentioning that 6d was missing from one of the collecting boxes this shows the large numbers of people who must have come out to enjoy themselves during the cold weather.

Wardens never knew what they might encounter. One entry in the Wardens' Log Books in March 1949 reads as follows:

'Two youngsters had a fire going below the Surprise so we had a warm and then put it out. We arrived back to the smell of chops. Stopped three 'yipps' about 19 years old from throwing stones at about 20 others about 10 to 14 years old. They challenged us to a fight, so we said OK and they altered their tune. In the afternoon we thought somebody was doing their washing, but a girl about 16 had fallen in the river and had hung her clothes to dry on a tree. We went to a fire on White Moor in the afternoon and went up there at night and ran around on the fire engine all night in between the Grouse and Big Moor Reservoir.'

Other log book entries include 'rescued yacht from lake - no reward' and 'rescued cow from starvation' Perhaps the most telling entry of all was made on 22nd April 1939. It simply reads 'No people. Everything all right.'

Sources

• Extract from 'Out-o'-Doors', Ramblers Federation Magazine May 1928
• Instructions to Wardens and Wardens' Log Book